William simmonds



(No Model.)

W. SIMMONDS.

, BOOK HOLDER.

No. 369,475. Patented Sept. 6,1887.

INVENTOR BY MM "2 I ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT rricn,

XVILLIAM SIMMONDS, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK.

BOOK-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 369,475, dated September 6, 1887.

Application filed September 8, 1886. Serial No. 212,596. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM SIMMONDS, of

Yonkers, in the county of Vestchester and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved BoolcHolder, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description;

The object of my invention is to provide a cheap, practical, and convenient device to be applied to books for holding them open and in convenient; position for reading or copying; and the invention consists, principally, of a spring-clamp constructed to span the back of the hook and grasp theleaves upon either side of the back and hold them firmly upon the covers.

Reference is to he had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similareletters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 shows my invention in front elevation applied to an open book; and Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same, showing the clamp pro- .vided with a standard.

The hook-holding device A. is made of considerable width to span the hack B of the book to hold the leaves O O fiat upon the two covcrs, D D.

The device is composed of two plates of metal, a a, pivoted together upon pins b, and between the two plates a a are placed springs c, coiled around the pivots b, and arranged to spread the upper edges of the plates and close their lower edges. The plates as a are correspondingly cut away in the center to form two sets ofjaws,d d, which grasp the leaves of the book on opposite sides of the back B, as shown in Fi 1.

fn the form of device shown in Fig. 2 the plate a is provided with tnhef, having a setserew, f, fitted in it, and in this tube is placed loosely a pointed rod, h, which may be made fast by the set-screw f and adjusted to suit the length of any book to which the device may be applied. This standard, composed of the said tube and rod, is for holding the book in upright position,,as shown in Fig. 2, in convenient position for reading or copying, so that the reader need not be troubled by holding the book in the hands or holding it open upon a stand, table, or other support.

I am aware that heretofore inusieholders have been devised comprising a back plate and a section hinged thereto formed with two memhers or forks to press the sheets against the back plate, as in the Patent to H. R. Hoffman, No. 289,658, December 4, 1883, and therefore lay no claim to such construction.

Having thus described myin'vention, whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

As an improved article of man nfacture, a book-holder composed ofa back plate, a, recessed to form two side jaws, and a corresponding front plate, a, recessed to form two sidejaws corresponding with the jaws of the back plate,

thus forming two sets of jaws or clasps to hold WILLIAM SIMMONDS.

\Vitn esses:

WILLIAM H. BELKNAP, Gniintns H. BUCK. 

